Shikon: The Four Souls
by cassiroll411
Summary: Inuyasha, one of the Four Souls, is cursed to live for eternity, falling in love with each new version of his long lost love (and also a Soul) Kikyo, only to have to find her all over again whenever she dies. After centuries of not finding another reincarnation, however, Inuyasha has all but given up hope: until meeting Kagome, the most recent reincarnation in the 21th century.
1. Chapter 1 - Fate

The halls were darkly lit, the ground speckled with drips of water as a silent storm raged outside, so quiet it was hard to believe that the heavens were crying at all. Inuyasha lowered his red hood carefully, brown eyes flickering over the area suspiciously. A figure suddenly emerged a few paces away, stepping out from behind one of the cracked stone pillars that supported the ancient ruins. The figure smiled, and Inuyasha scowled.

"I thought I told you I never wanted to see you again, Naraku."

"Is that why you continue to search for me?" Naraku inquired as he scooped wet black hair away from his eyes. He leaned against the pillar, arm above the head that rested on the damp surface. "If you think I'm that naive, you're really more of a fool than I could ever have taken you for. Are you enjoying my gift as much as I am?"

"Get out before I cut your throat."

"Is that how you speak to a God?"

Inuyasha's eyes sparkled with amusement. "You're no God; we both know that."

Naraku shrugged. "I granted you immortality. Isn't that something only a God can do?"

Inuyasha scowled and drew his red cloak tight around himself as drips of water rolled down his black head. "Why did you choose to show yourself to me, on this night. Did you think you'd have the upper hand now that the moon is dark?"

"Of course," Naraku smirked, "you're weak. Just as you always were. But at least this way I won't have to worry that your anger will strike down the mountains." He pushed off of the pillar lightly and approached. "I was curious of the side effects of you living this long. I'm surprised that, without your renewal after every life cycle, you aren't showing more signs of corruption."

Inuyasha lifted his chin up in defiance. "Five hundred years is a short time in comparison to the age of the Earth. Maybe you should have thought of that before casting your curse and making me un-killable."

Naraku chuckled. "If you died, you'd just come back and forget everything you did to me. What'd be the purpose of that? If you're going to suffer, I need you to remember."

"Your plan backfired. If you haven't noticed, the power of the Four Souls grows stronger with age. An immortal Soul might become corrupt, but it is far stronger than anything you'll ever be able to defeat."

"You still have these stages of complete and utter weakness every month, though." He sighed, eyes cast to the dripping ceiling. "And you should really keep this place more tidy. When I ruled-."

"_When_," Inuyasha spat, "_when _you ruled. You don't anymore. Get over it."

Naraku's eyes flashed. He spun away rapidly and began to walk away.

"Hey!" Inuyasha cried, taking a step forward and reaching for his sword, tessaiga. "Where are you going?"

Naraku didn't respond and kept moving away rapidly. Cursing under his breath, Inuyasha followed in quick pursuit. As Naraku turned another corner, Inuyasha pulled out the blade, which was rusty and worn, but was all he ever carried on his person. He kept up for a few corridors, but after that lost the red eyed man to the darkness.

"Coward!" He called, gritting his teeth. "Come out!"

"Inu-!" A high pitched voice called softly, before being cut off. Inuyasha stopped in his tracks as the small sound echoed off the walls, the stillness of the building suffocating him as he realized who the cry had belonged to.

"Kikyo!" He called into the black void of the halls. He was breathing hard as a drop of water rolled from his chin to the floor, hitting it with a soft _plunk_. He leaned forward, and suddenly he was running fast, almost faster than humanly possible. He followed blindly any small sound he heard, eventually ending at a large wooden door. He knew this door. It was his bed chamber. He reached for the door knob and found it turned with ease. His face contorted with worry. This door was to be locked. It was _always_ to be locked. Shakily, he pushed against the wood. It creaked open. His eyes went wide.

Red. So much red.

And pain, he could feel it. An amount of pain so large it echoed through the space as her voice had moments before.

But the stillness...the silence…

It terrified him the most.

"Kikyo!" He rushed in, tearing apart the sheets of the soaking red bed. He found no trace of her, and he could not tell if the blood was hers as his senses were dulled by the moonless night. "Kikyo!" He called again, moving onto the furniture. He pushed the bookcase to the floor, smashed through the locked closet, broke open the wardrobe. Nothing. He found nothing.

"Where is she!" He rasped. "I know you can hear me, you bastard! Where is my wife!"

"Inu...yasha…" The voice was so faint, he could barely make it out. It came from above. Something dripped on his face, and he almost let it slid past, thinking it was another drop of rain. But it was warm. He wiped it away shakily and inspected it. Dark. Copper-smelling. It ran down his finger and joined a small puddle at his feet. He lifted his chin up, ever so slowly, to face the ceiling. Pain-filled brown orbs stared back. Black hair dangled downwards, sticky with copper-smelling liquid. Light began to pour through the windows as the sun decided to begin to show, and with it, the castle rumbled. "Do not...be upset."

"K-Kikyo…" Tears streamed from Inuyasha's eyes as the sunlight reached them, morphing them into a bright gold. His black hair shimmered to silver as pointed ears sifted to the surface of his head. He reached a hand up and perfectly formed claws sprouted, needle sharp. He reached farther, trying to touch his beloved, who was pinned to his chamber ceiling by arrows in both her hands and feet. A mixture of blood and tears dripped into his out stretched palm, and he closed it shakingly, the walls splinting with cracks as it clenched.

Kikyo's eyes begged silently as her weight pushed her further down on the arrows, making the blood flow more rapidly. "You are...Nigimitama...you must...keep yourself together…"

Tears threatened Inuyasha's eyes. "And you are Sakimitama...you _cannot _die…" His eyes narrowed as the sound of shifting earth grew strong. "Naraku…"

"It wasn't…" Kikyo took a shaky breath, trailing off as her brown eyes became clouded. Her head rolled to her chest and she was silent.

"No…" Inuyasha lowered his arm and stared, unable to say another word. The walls trembled and crumbled, slowly falling around him. Kikyo's body dropped and landed in his arms. She was cold, lifeless. Any piece of her soul had fled her vessel, already being carried away to a newborn who would carry on her duties. He managed to lightly place his fingers on her cheek as tears leaked from his eyes and fell into her hair like clear diamonds. Leaning forward, he kissed her gently on the lips. The east side of the room collapsed. "Let me die." He whispered through the tears. "Why won't he let me die."

**The ceiling fell, and both were buried beneath the rubble.**


	2. Chapter 2 - An Unpleasent Reunion

Inuyasha sat in the cafe quietly, cupping his mug between his palms. It burned to the touch, but he didn't care. The waitress had yet to come back with the pen he had requested, but that wasn't what bothered him. He was going through the names again in his head, one by one: Akane, Asta, Luzie, Estera, Filvia...the list went on and on, from every ethnicity and corner of the world imaginable. If he didn't write them down, he'd forget the pattern. He'd lose the little bit of hope he had left.

A whole century. _Over_ a century this year, in fact, since he'd found the last version of his beloved. Each time had been the same: a romantic dream, turned sour by disease and old age. He'd watch her become an elderly woman, or develop breast cancer, or drown in the river before she learned to walk. It was torture every time, but the waiting...that was worst of all.

"Your pen, sir." The waitress returned, lightly placing it beside his napkin. She smiled. "How's the coffee?"

"Great, great, thank you." He snatched the pen and began to scribble on the napkin. Japan, Germany, Finland, Egypt….the United States of America. He sighed and fell back into his chair, tossing the pen across the table. The waitress still stood next to him. "How much?"

"Um," She blinked, having been fixated on his writing. "Oh, coffee is no charge on Sundays. It's a family tradition here." She furrowed her brow, twirling her brown ponytail in her fingers. "What's with the list?"

Inuyasha glanced at her. "Why should you care?"

The woman shrugged. Staring at her, there was something a bit familiar in her eyes, a twinkle he hadn't seen in awhile. He hooked his arm over the chair and furrowed his brow. "What's your name?"

"Sango."

"Sango," Inuyasha attempted a smile. It didn't feel right, he was pretty sure it didn't look right either. "Nice to meet you."

"If you're going to ask for my number, you can forget it." She replied with a surprisingly aggressive tone.

He laughed. "Oh, trust me, I wouldn't even know how to use a phone."

"I have a boyfriend," She continued. "So don't."

"I'm not asking you out, no need to worry." He glanced at the napkin. He grabbed it and pushed it deep into his jacket pocket. Sango stopped twirling her ponytail and put a hand to her hip.

"You're weird."

"Thanks, I guess." Inuyasha reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. "Here, for making me laugh." He slapped it on the table and stood up. "Might stop by again, you remind me of someone, not sure who yet, but I'll figure it." He adjusted his baseball cap and started to walk towards the door.

"Wait!" Sango reached out and grabbed his jacket. She blushed when he glared at her and let go quickly. "Um, sorry. What...what was your name?" She didn't seem sure why she was asking, and was angry with herself for it.

He gave her another lopsided smile. "Inuyasha."

"Oh." She took a deep breath and grinned at him. "Well, thanks for the tip. Feel free to come back anytime."

"Of course."

Inuyasha exited the cafe, looking about the streets quietly. He realized he hadn't taken a single sip of the coffee, but his hands were at least warm in the chill of the New York January weather. He really should get a better coat, he thought to himself as he rushed against the sidewalk traffic. It didn't seem like the cold bothered the rest of the population, but after living in various parts of upper South Africa for the last decade, he'd grown comfortable in extreme heat instead of extreme cold.

Pulling out his wallet, he counted his remaining cash. About two hundred. He could get a hotel, if he wanted to live a little, but the thought of attempting another pick-pocket in this city full of suspicious citizens seemed a bit daunting in the bright early morning. Oh well, a motel wouldn't be so bad. If only he could just buy one of those damn iPhones and learned how to do more than turn it on that'd be fantastic.

Sighing, he returned his wallet to his pocket and continued to walk. He remembered the days when he'd be scanning the crowds for her face, but those days had died long ago. Now he just wandered around the country where, if she'd been born in the last two decades, she might still be. Unless she moved, or was on vacation, or some other thing. The world was a small place now. Just because you were born somewhere didn't mean you'd live there forever. The next incarnation could be on a plane to Madagascar for all he knew.

"Hey!" A voice called out, suddenly interrupting his thoughts. He spun around to see a younger man with a rat-tail hairdo, eyes blazing at him. Inuyasha recognized him immediately. "You stole my wallet, you asshole!"

"Oh shit."

"Thief!" The man spat, starting to run at him. "Thief!"

"Oh _shit,_" Inuyasha hissed, backing up and pushing through the crowd. Out of all the people in this city, he had to run into the only one he had stolen from so far. Honestly, this 'small world' thing was getting just plain ridiculous.

"Get back here! I'm gonna kill you, you bastard!"

"Oh, now I really want to stop!" Inuyasha called over his shoulder. He swung himself over the railing that led to the subway, knocking over a few people in the process. The man followed in hot pursuit, practically gaining on him. Inuyasha pulled his hat down hard, making sure it was secured, before leaping high over the turnstile and landing lightly on the other side. He narrowly avoided colliding with an elderly homeless woman pushing around a shopping cart of goods. A few people were staring at him, shocked, as he continued onwards. A subway car pulled up, coming to a screeching hault. Inuyasha quickly ducked in as passengers scrambled out. The doors closed. He breathed a sigh of relief and allowed himself to relax as the car started to move...

Something cold snapped onto his wrist.

"Got 'cha." Inuyasha twisted his head around, face to face with his rat-tailed pursuer. The man smiled. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you by the state." He cocked his head and smirked. "Maybe you shouldn't steal a cop's wallet next time, bud."

Inuyasha stared at him for a moment longer as the car continued on its merry way, the passengers of New York barely paying attention to the scene as though this was a daily occurrence. He lowered his eyes to the cuffs, and realized that they were made of no ordinary material. He looked back up at the man. "Who are you?"

"Name's Miroku," He leaned in close. "I've read quite a lot about you, Inuyasha. What's it been, a few hundred years?"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. That face...he knew that face…

"_Shit._"

Miroku nodded. "That's right, you guessed it." He winked. "I'm Aramitama, one of the Four Souls. A pleasure to finally meet you."


	3. Chapter 3 - Catching Up

"So," Miroku leaned forward, elbows on knees, staring at the white haired man behind bars. "How does it feel to switch places, hm?"

"Look, I'm sorry," Inuyasha muttered. "It was an accident."

"An accident?" Miroku laughed. "According to these, it was no accident." He slapped a hand down on a few old looking journals, dust kicking up into the air. Inuyasha jumped forward, hands suddenly clasped around the bars that held him prisoner.

"How did you get those?"

"My last incarnation figured out the pattern. Stefan I think was his name? Terrible, doesn't fit this face at all. Anyways, he planted these journals in different places throughout the U.S. The only three place, in fact, that I've ever been born in in this country. I was just wandering into this museum, always fascinated with old wars and such since I was little, and I came across this journal on display. The Livonian War, 1558." He raised an eyebrow. "Ringing any bells yet?"

"Miroku-."

"Someone decided to stab me in the skull, did you know that?" He picked up the journal and began to read. "After doing my research, I have discovered that the man that killed reincarnation 347th, Wilhelm Ronneburg, was in fact fighting on our side. I don't know who, but they knew exactly where to strike. They had to have been close to us. But who would dare abuse such a powerful man's trust?" He slammed the journal closed. "Tell me, who would dare, Inuyasha? Who would know that, no matter what they did, they would be able to escape their death? Hm?"

"I told you it was-."

"Let's go onto the next one, shall we?" Miroku picked up the next journal. "Going back to my old studies, I discovered that the wound was not from an ordinary blade. It was one of the four objects that can kill the Four Souls permanently, if used correctly. However, it appears the attacker did not aim for the heart, so we were spared. Instead he took from us the next worse thing, and struck us in the head. We will never again be able to recall our past lives. Not a single one. For each lifetime we will be doomed to live normal, unfulfilled lives as Aramitama, or Courage in our current tongue, is slowly wiped from the Earth." He glanced up at Inuyasha, accusingly. "Now, why don't you tell me again how this is an accident."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it quickly.

"I thought so." Miroku put the book down and stood up. "Well, catch me up then."

Inuyasha raised his head. "What?"

Miroku waved his hand in the air, "You know, fill in the blanks. Why'd you do it?"

"I…" Inuyasha trailed off and looked away, his hands sliding from the bars. "I… don't know."

"You don't know?" Miroku furrowed his brow. "Well, that was anticlimactic. Different versions of me have only been rediscovering ourselves for decades upon decades trying to find you just to answer this one question. And you're telling me that you don't _fucking_ know?" Miroku reached out and grabbed the bars angrily. "I don't know how to do any of the amazing things that are described in these journals. Before you stabbed your blade into my brain, I raised up kings and gave them the strength to go off into battle. I encouraged children to fight through their illnesses and despair so they could live another day. I taught wives to strike back against their oppressive husbands during times where lifting a finger without permission was forbidden. And telling me that the world is going to lose that strength, that Courage, because you just for no reason decided to end it all?!"

Inuyasha stared at the floor.

"Answer me, god damn it!" Miroku shook the bars in frustration. "Why in the world would you think that was the solution! You're Nigimitama, _Friendship_, for God fucking sake! But all you've ever done is tear things apart."

Inuyasha looked up, eyes burning. "You do not want to fight me, Aramitama."

"It's Miroku," He pushed away from the bars violently. "Your little moment of complete stupidity made me fail to be able to ever recall who Aramitama truly is ever again. I can merely claim the name as my own for a title; I will never be him as you can be Nigimitama. You destroyed Courage." He collapsed into his chair across from the cell. "I hope you're satisfied."

Inuyasha swallowed hard. "You weren't...supposed to have found out."

Miroku let out a surprised chuckle. "I wasn't supposed to? It's my history, Inuyasha. I will always return to my history. It's literally the very core of who all of us Four Souls are."

"What are you going to do with me." Inuyasha whispered. "I can't die, you said that yourself. Even one of the four objects won't kill me anymore." He reached up and adjusted the baseball cap so it hid his eyes. "I've been starved, drowned, impaled, you name it. If you're into torture, my resistance for pain is pretty high considering. So go on then, give me your best shot."

"I'm not going to do any of those things. It's the 21st century, for goodness sake. I'm a cop, I'm not some crazed idiot who's willing to have someone walk in on me shooting an inmate twenty times in the head because he won't stay down for more than a few minutes at a time. Give me some credit."

"Then what," Inuyasha repeated.

"I'm going to keep you here, I guess. Lock you up for awhile. I think it was only noted a hundred times or more that patience isn't a virtue of yours."

"You can't just leave me in here to rot."

"I can. I will. I am." He got up again and walked towards the entrance. "Have fun, old friend. Can't say I'll miss you. Memories never to return of when you were a decent human being and all that."

"Wait-."

"Been waiting for quite awhile. I'm done waiting. You on, on the other hand, have never stopped. Maybe this will remind you of the pain I must've felt when you killed me." He slammed the door behind him and didn't look back. The footsteps of his boots faded in a few rapid seconds. Inuyasha was alone.

"Damn," He muttered, slumping against the wall. Surveying his cell, it wasn't much to look at. It certainly hadn't been the first time he'd been arrested. There was the signature sink and toilet, dirty bed, a barely functioning light that buzzed and flickered every few minutes. The floor felt damp when he rested his hand against it. He wondered if Miroku was going to bother to feed him, since he'd be fine without food, just really hungry and pissed. It was about now that he was wishing he had that iPhone again. At the very least he could jam it into the cell's lock box until one or the other gave.

_Knock, knock, knock._

Inuyasha looked up. "Well, that wasn't long. Come to gloat some more, Miroku?"

The door creaked open. He saw bright brown eyes staring through the crack. "Actually, it's not him."

"Sango?" Inuyasha blinked, astonished that of all people it was the waitress. "What are you doing at a jail?"

She opened the door all the way and scurried in. "Saving your ass, it looks like." She murmured, pulling out a pin from her purse.

"Um, I don't think a jail cell will just burst open with a weak little-."

_Click._

"You were saying?" She smiled, swinging the gate open. "Come on, let's get going. Before my boyfriend comes back."

"Your...what?"

She rolled her eyes, "Just come on."

Inuyasha stared at the open cell. A hand slipped into his and he started.

"Hey, come on," Sango's voice was gentle and kind. "He'll check up on the cameras any time now. Please."

Inuyasha allowed himself to be led away, although he felt as if he was deserting the man he'd been outrunning again.

"Don't look behind you," Sango warned. "That's the first rule of escaping."

"Sorry."

She smiled back at him. "You'll learn eventually."


	4. Chapter 4 - Do You Remember?

Sango dug out her pin and popped open another door nearby. "Nobody comes in here anymore, it'll be safe."

Inuyasha slipped past her. She shut the door behind them and they were plunged into darkness. The room smelled of dust and old paper. He could hear the waitress feeling her way along the walls, finding her way to a hard, hollow sounding surface. Something clicked, and a golden glow filled the space around her.

"I can't do much more than this desk lamp, unfortunately. Wouldn't want someone to see us. Your eyes will adjust in a second, the room isn't very big so the light will go a long ways."

"It's fine." Inuyasha peered through the darkness, shapes starting to form objects. Bookshelves morphed into view, full of stories of every shape and size. A few desks were scattered about, small ones with stacks of paper and a pencil here and there. He stepped forward and examined one of them, sliding his fingers across the surface. They came up covered in grey. "Abandoned library...odd place to hide, but I've been in stranger rooms."

"They made a new library forever ago, but they never quite got to clearing this one out. I took the key off of one of the guards. It's a nice place to relax when your boyfriend works long hours and you're his ride home." She joined him next to the desk and blew. A cloud of dust flew up into the air and Inuyasha sneezed. "This jail is pretty old. Miroku's dad was the chief for years."

"He taught his son well," Inuyasha muttered, sniffling from the now dust-filled air.

"He didn't, actually." Sango replied. "His dad passed away when he was a little kid. He was on the job and got stabbed in the wrist. They had to amputate his hand because of an infection. It was already in his blood, though. He didn't survive the week."

Inuyasha was quiet for a moment, watching the sad eyes of the woman beside him. "Why are you telling me this?"

She shrugged. "Dunno."

"Seems like a pretty personal thing to just spit out with no reason."

She shrugged again. "Maybe I just wanted you to realize he's had a rough life too."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "Too? What makes you think _I've_ had a rough life?"

"You just have a look."

"Excuse me?"

"In your eyes," She pointed to her own for emphasis, "like you're sad. I see it in a lot of people."

"...You're a strange one, you know that?"

She jumped on the desk and swung her legs forward. "Do you see it in mine?" She asked suddenly, leaning close to him.

He backed away, face hot with embarrassment. "S-See what?"

"The sadness."

"I-I don't-."

"Look closer," She tipped forward a bit more, resting her hands on the desk to keep her balance. Inuyasha was about to back away, but then he saw something. A dark flicker in the backs of her eyes. He turned away. "You saw it." Sango said. "People who lost someone close to them can recognize it. You've lost a lot of somebodys, I think."

"Not somebodys. Someone. Singular."

"Oh," Sango straightened back up. "I lost my father, like Miroku did. That's how we connected. Spider bite, of all things." She sighed. "He was a hunter, liked going to exotic places. Went to a forest in Australia and stepped on a nest of funnel spiders. They found him a few weeks later, less than a mile away from a main road." She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

"I don't understand. You meet me in a cafe, your boyfriend happens to be the one I stole a wallet from and a cop no less, then you save me and decide to tell me the sad moments of both of your lives. Why?"

She opened her eyes again and tilted her head at him, "You ask a lot of questions."

"And you aren't answering any of them." He took a few steps away, glaring at her. That face…

"Have you figured it out yet?" She smiled. "You said I reminded you of someone."

His eyes went wide. It couldn't be. "Kushimitama?"

She tossed back her head and laughed. "You always take so long to guess, my friend!"

"Kushimi!" Inuyasha grinned and rushed forward, drawing her into a hug. "Kushimi, it's been so long!"

"Europe, late 18th century. The United States was just forming into a country." She hugged him back hard. "Oh, I remember being born as an native of this land! That was one of the happiest lives I had. Do you remember that?"

"Yes," He chuckled and released her, still hold her by the elbows. "You were Red Hands, because you were such a terrible cook that they were always burned."

She slapped his shoulder with an open palm. "Oh, you take that back!"

"It's the truth! You burned down your hut."

"Once!"

"Twice!"

Sango frowned at him, "Okay, maybe twice. More like one and a half."

Inuyasha smiled and hugged her again, tightly. "I've missed you."

She rubbed his back softly, "Me too," she whispered. She pulled away from him, almost harshly. "I'm still mad at you, though. For what you did to Miroku."

"Have you told him who you are?"

"No. Never have. I'm not mentioned as Kushimitama once in any of his journals, just as my incarnation's name."

"Why not?"

She turned from him sadly, "It's better for him if he doesn't know. He's always been so angry with you, even before what happened. And now that his memories are gone, he's as frustrated as ever." She sighed, casting her eyes down. "I am sorry, though. For the things he said to you that day. You know I am. He should have known better."

Inuyasha tensed. "It's fine. You can stop apologizing. You weren't there."

"Those were the days of sickness." She gave an almost undetectable giggle. "The common cold killed me before I was twelve." Looking back up, he could see that she still didn't forgive herself for dying all those centuries ago. He'd heard her apologize so many times, but she would never be able to get past that awful moment in history.

He put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Listen, you need to stop. If you, out of all of us, can't move one, how will someone like me?" He tugged her chin upwards with a clawed hand. She gazed at him quietly, waiting for reassurance. He hadn't expected that. He couldn't think of anything more to say that may soothe her, and it appeared she realized this as well.

"You're supposed to keep us all together," Her lower lip trembled. "That's what you're supposed to do. But now you've resorted to-this!" She reached up suddenly and pulled off his hat in anger.

"Hey!" He cried as his dog ears became visible in the golden light. He glared at her, furious. "Give that back, now."

"No," She held it in her hands firmly. "Stop hiding all the time. You never let anyone see who you are!"

"Because I am a _monster_!" He growled back, snatching the hat back aggressively. Sango cried out as the fabric roughly scraped against her palms. She stared at them in silent horror. Inuyasha shoved the hat back onto his head. "I'm this corrupt _thing_ because of my own mistakes. It's not something that can be forgiven so lightly."

Sango closed her hands tightly around the space where the hat had been. She gritted her teeth, piercing daggers into Inuyasha's eyes with her own. "Stop. Hiding."

He leaned close to her, body tense as though about to fight or flight. "I'm not having this conversation with a hypocritical Four Soul like you who won't even tell the man she's loved through the centuries who she really is."

Sango's hand went high into the air before falling across Inuyasha's cheek. There was a long silence while the two stood there, both shocked. Sango took in a shaky breath before turning around and running out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar. Inuyasha peered through the crack at the blank grey wall, watching her shadow disappear across it's surface. He gently pushed against the door until he heard it click.

The silence seemed to grow stronger as the ground began to shake.


	5. Chapter 5 - Forgetful

Kagome stretched out lazily in her dorm room bed, yawning as she counted the hours she had left till class. She really needed some sleep about yesterday. Why was college such a demanding thing? Couldn't she go back to high school yet? She groaned and rolled over onto her stomach.

"Kagome!"

"Door's open!" She called from her muffled pillow case.

The door creaked open and a stern looking young girl burst in, eyeing her roommate with distaste. "Come on Kagome, get up already. Ayumi and Yuka are waiting."

"One more minute, Eri," Kagome groaned, putting the pillow over her head to try and block the sound of Eri's pestering.

"No more minutes, _now_."

"You sound like my mom!"

"If you don't get up now, you're going to end up just laying here the rest of the afternoon. It's Monday, remember? We have our study lunches Monday."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Only someone like you would think this meal plan was a good idea."

"Lunches Mondays and Thursdays. Breakfast on Tuesday, and dinner on Sunday. That's how it is." Eri said with finality. "How else are we supposed to see each other?"

"Skype?"

"Not funny, Kagome."

"Hey!" Kagome yelped as hands grabbed her ankles. "Let go!"

"Nope," Eri tugged hard, and the college freshy was yanked from her cozy resting place. Kagome sat up and glared at the short-haired girl in anger.

"I'm going to tear that stupid headband of yours off your head and make you eat it."

Eri smirked, "I'd like to see you try."

Kagome dived and caught Eri's legs, causing them both to tumble to the ground. They ended up tangled in each other arms, laughing. "Alright, alright," Kagome giggled. "You win. Lunches on Mondays."

"And Thursdays!" Eri added breathlessly.

They both got to their feet and headed out the door into the dorm hallway. Kagome stared at the small purse Eri had flung over her shoulder and then looked to her own huge yellow backpack. "How do you manage to put everything in there for class?"

Eri shrugged. "Guess I'm just more organized than you."

Kagome frowned. "Yeah right, you just aren't bringing your books, are you?"

Eri winked and waved her phone. "The power of technology, baby. I have the whole thing downloaded."

"Man, I need one of those," Kagome sighed.

"Be happy you have a phone at all-."

"If you finish that sentence with 'there are kids starving in Africa' I'm going to punch you, I swear."

The two approached the dining hall, surveying the area for their two other friends. The place was packed full of kids who had the same idea as them, books pulled out and pencils poised as they gulped down bites of the day's specialties. Kagome noticed a duo sitting by themselves at a larger table, one with curly hair and the other with straight short hair.

"Ayumi!" Kagome called. The curly haired one turned her head and smiled.

"Come on guys, we already grabbed burgers!" The other, Yuka, shouted. She held up a tray filled with food so they could see.

Kagome sat down next to Yuka, grabbing the first thing she saw and quickly unwrapping it. She took a bite and smiled with delight. "Man, I'm happy and angry that the food here is so good."

"I have to actually exercise now," Ayumi agreed. "It sucks."

Eri shrugged. "Eh, I don't see a problem. If I gain weight, I gain weight. My level of caring does not increase with my pants size."

"I think we're all tiptoeing around the real reason we're gathered here today." Yuka interrupted, leaning in close and staring at Kagome with a coy grin. "So, Hojo…"

Kagome groaned loudly and sunk back into her chair before snapping her head back up and narrowing her eyes. "Come on, let it go already. We went on one date."

"One gorgeous, romantic, incredible date!" Yuka gushed. "Man, I wish I was in your position!"

"We went to the movies."

"And made out in the dark!"

"He pecked my cheek!"

"How daring!"

Kagome rubbed her eyes, propping her head with her. "Listen, we just didn't really hit it off. I mean, the guy is nice and all, but come on. A movie? A kiss on the cheek? I want something a little more than that, ya know? Where's the fun? The excitement? The edginess?"

"You sound like a pre-teen girl reading Twilight," Ayumi said as she stabbed at a french fry. "In college, you don't want excitement unless you're looking for trouble. Anyone who gets any more snuggly to me then a french kiss and I'm out. Protect yourself, Kagome. Don't go for tall dark and handsome when you have sunny and safe."

"You really do make it sound so boring," Eri taunted.

"Oh, shut up."

The four girls laughed and took sips from their sodas. The cafeteria was overflowing with kids now, trying to cram as best they could.

"This place is always so crowded," Yuka groaned. "Why don't we go some place else?"

"Like where?"

"Eri, what was that one place you liked?"

"Crazy Coffee?"

"Yeah, that!" Yuka grinned. "Why don't we try there? Might be nice to find a spot where we can get away to when everyone else is taking up all the space."

Kagome shrugged. "Sure, I don't mind."

"It's my favorite coffee joint, so of course I'm cool with it."

Ayumi frowned. "What if we're late?"

"Look, it's only a ten minute walk from here."

"But I'm on the other side of campus…"

Eri groaned and rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Ayumi! I know you're supposed to be the wise one of the four of us, but tone it down a notch. You're getting worry wrinkles on your forehead before you're even twenty."

Ayumi's hand flew up to touch her head in dismay, "I am?!"

"Now look what you've done!" Yuka cried. "You've gone and made her upset!"

"What, it's true!"

"Is it bad? Do you think I can cover them with make up?"

"Ayumi, you're fine." Kagome interrupted. "Guys, let's just go already if we're going to go. Arguing won't get us anywhere. We're in college now, we don't all have to agree on everything to make a choice."

"Fine, fine," Eri said with a wave of her hand. She stood up and tossed the remains of her sandwich in a nearby bin. "Ayumi, I'm sorry. Coffee's on me, if you'll let me treat you."

Ayumi sniffed and lowered her hand. "O-Okay."

Kagome grinned and got to her feet. "Alrighty then, let's go!"

The four girls tossed the remainder of their food away before walking out of the cafeteria, laughing and chatting as they went.

None of them noticed the eyes following them.

"I finally found you…" The air seemed to grow thicker. "Kikyo…"


End file.
